Portable CD-ROM/ISO to HDD/MP3 recorder with simultaneous CD-read/MP3- encode/HDD-write, or HDD-read/MP3-decode, to play, power saving buffer, and enhanced sound output

A combination CD-ROM and MP3 or other digital compression format recorder/player comprising:

• a reader of ISO or any other standard storage format first digital code words of n bits each word from a CD-ROM;
• a first decoder first-decoding the first digital code words of n bits each word into a first audio wave form;
• an audio transducer converting the first audio wave form to sound;
• an encoder and digitizer decoding and digitizing the first audio wave form into MP3 format second digital words of m bits each word, m>n;
• and
• a memory storing the second digital words.

A method of conserving power in a combination CD-ROM and MP3 or other digital compression format or other digital compression format recorder/player, the method comprising:

• playing a rotating CD-ROM containing a plurality of musical works by
• first-decoding first-format first digital words encoded in the CD-ROM into a first audio wave form, and
• converting the first audio wave form to sound;
• while
• encoding and digitizing the first audio wave form into second-format second digital words;
• storing so many of the second digital words as represent at least a complete one of the plurality of musical works into a semiconductor memory;
• and then, when and only when at least one complete musical work is stored in the semiconductor memory,
• powering up a rotating disk to spin up to recording speed, and recording the at least one complete musical work from the semiconductor memory to the rotating disk, whereupon the rotating disk is powered down;
• wherein the disk is not rotating during a portion of the playing, the encoding and digitalizing, and the storing, and thus saves power over a constant rotation.

A power-conserving combination CD-ROM and MP3 or other digital compression format recorder/player comprising:

• a CD-ROM containing a plurality of musical works;
• a first decoder first-decoding first digital words encoded in the CD-ROM into a first audio wave form;
• a converter converting the first audio wave form to sound;
• an encoder/digitizer digitizing and encoding the first audio wave form into second digital words;
• a solid state memory storing so many of the second digital words as represent at least a complete one of the plurality of musical works;
• a rotating disk controllable to record at least one complete musical work from the semiconductor memory;
• and
• a disk power controller for spinning up the disk to recording speed for purpose of recording from the memory second digital code words representing the at least one musical work, and for thereafter powering down the rotating disk;
• wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during the converting of the first audio wave form to sound, and the digitalizing and the encoding, and thus saves power.

A method of conserving power in a combination CD-ROM and MP3 or other digital compression format recorder/player, the method comprising:

• performing MP3 encoding in an MP3 encoder without reference to any instructions or microcode stored in any memory;
• storing in a solid state buffer memory so many MP3 codes, as and when produced by the MP3 encoder, as represent a complete musical work;
• and
• spinning up a read-writable disk memory, then writing the MP3 codes from the solid state buffer memory to the disk memory, and then powering down the disk memory;
• wherein the disk is not continuously rotating during the MP3 encoding and thus saves power.

In a combination CD-ROM and MP3 or other digital compression format recorder/player

• playing a CD-ROM by
• reading first digital code words from a CD-ROM,
• first-decoding the first digital words into a first audio wave form, and
• converting the first audio wave form to sound;
• while
• encoding and digitizing the first audio wave form into second digital words, and, ultimately,
• storing the second digital words in a disk memory, a method of conserving power comprising:
• performing the first-decoding, and also the encoding and digitalizing, entirely within one or more chips without reference to any memory to retrieve any instructions or microcode,
• meaning that neither the first-decoding nor the encoding can be performed by a microprocessor that by definition processes microinstructions lodge in some memory,
• the one or more chips being called encoder or decoder or encoder/decoder chips as the case may be;
• plus
• moving encoded and digitalized second digital words from the one or more chips to the disk memory without use of any device making reference to any memory for any instructions or microcode as to how to effectuate this moving,
• meaning that moving cannot be performed by a microprocessor that by definition processes microinstructions lodged in some memory,
• a device performing the moving being a state machine called a file transfer device;
• wherein the importance, and distinguishing characteristic, that encoding/decoding processes normally performed by a microprocessor is not so performed is not a mere matter of semantics as to what chips and devices are called, but is rater a matter that references to any memory, and particularly a rotating disk memory, are avoided, thus saving power.

A method of recording in a combination CD-ROM and MP3 or other digital compression format recorder/player, the method comprising:

• reading at a first time successive first-encoded first digital words from a CD-ROM;
• decoding at the first time the successive first-encoded first digital words into a first analog signal;
• transducing at the first time this first analog signal into audible sound;
• encoding and digitizing at the first time the first analog signal into a successive second-encoded second digital words;
• storing these second digital words in a solid state memory until at least one entire musical work is stored in the solid state memory;
• presenting to a user of the combination CD-ROM and MP3 recorder/player an opportunity to save or reject saving the at least one entire musical work;
• and
• IF the user rejects any saving of the at least one entire musical work THEN returning immediately to the reading, the decoding, the encoding and digitalizing, and the storing ELSE IF the user selects saving of the at least one entire musical work THEN moving second digital code words associated with the musical work to a writable disk and thereafter returning immediately to the reading, the decoding, the encoding and digitalizing;
• wherein the user is able to select saving of the at least one musical work on the writable disk at a time after the transducing of the work into audible sound.

A method of extracting digital files upon a CD/ROM into MP3 format files stored on a hard disk drive, the method comprising:

• reading digital data from a CD-ROM at greater than normal CD/ROM play speed;
• first-buffering the read digital data in a first buffer memory;
• encoding in an MP3 encoder chip at greater than real-time play rates information from or derived from the digital data of the first buffer memory into MP3 files;
• second-buffering the encoded MP3 files in a second buffer memory;
• and
• writing in batches, at combined rates greater than real-time play rates, the encoded buffered MP3 files from the second buffer memory onto a hard disk drive;
• wherein the transfer from the CD-ROM to, ultimately, the disk drive is at rates, in aggregate and on average, greater than the real-time play rate.

A method of transferring MP3 or other digital compression format files directly between MP3 player-recorders comprising:

• reading MP3 data from the hard disk drive of a first MP3 player-recorder into a buffer memory of the first player-recorder;
• transferring MP3 data from the first player-recorder's buffer memory across a communications channel to a like buffer memory of a second MP3 player-recorder;
• and
• writing MP3 data from the second player-recorder's buffer memory to a hard disk drive of the second MP3 player-recorder;
• wherein no computer processor is anywhere involved to manage, perform or in any way contribute to any of the reading and the transferring and the writing.